The Divine Dish

Palazzo Niccolini al Duomo, Florence

Posted on Apr 17, 2012 under Archives, Italy | No Comment

I stayed at two properties in Florence, each on opposite sides of the Arno River.   The 16th century Palazzo Niccolini al Duomo is mere steps away from the Duomo but despite the constant crowds of tourists visiting and viewing the famous landmark the hotel remains a peaceful retreat in the heart of historic Florence.

Owner Marchesa Ginerva Niccolini d Camugiliano turned her husband’s palazzo into an oppulently decorated 10 room hotel.

I stayed in one of the smaller rooms when I first arrived but my quarters still appeared quite spacious due to the incredibly high ceilings.

I returned for one night before departing Italy and was upgraded to a huge room with large original allegorical frescoes, damask drapes, a huge canopy bed and marble floored bathrooms.  I loved this room and wish I could have stayed for a week!

Large and delicious buffet breakfasts are included in a stay at the Palazzo Niccolini and the airy beautiful comfortable sitting room is open for breakfast dining and all day for refreshments.

I highly recommend a stay at the Palazzo Niccolini al Duomo.  It’s perfect location and peaceful ambiance make it a great choice for a stay in Florence.  Located at Via Dei Servi 2, reservations can be made at 055 282412.

Dinner at Lago D’Argento, Silverlake

Posted on Apr 17, 2012 under Archives, Los Angeles | No Comment

Located next to Barbarella Bar in Silverlake, Lago D’Argento is a new modern open mellow trattoria serving up very affordable and delicious salads, sides, and signature pizzas.

The ceilings and walls are huge chalkboards with assorted written messages while down below is a cozy atmosphere with comfy red leather booths and banquettes, hardwood floors, plenty of candles and one big communal table.

Chef Jay Mendoza, formally the pastry chef at Churchill and Ortolan, is running the kitchen and doing a great job.  He invented Lago’s signature pizza dough, which is made of a secret combination of much more than flour and water.  That’s why the pizzas here are just as delicious as those costing three times as much over the hill at Mozza.  What makes Lago such a gem is the quality of food for the price – big tasty pizzas start at $9 and their specialty pizzas run up to $13, much less than most pizzerias and one of the best pizzas I have tasted.   Here is what my friend Monica and I sampled while we dined at Lago D’Argento:

We started with the Lago Chopped Salad with salami, mozzarella, garbanzo beans, cherry tomatoes and ricotta salata cheese over mixed greens with a tangy sherry vinaigrette.  Very tasty.

Next came out some delicious charred carrots – a top seller at the restaurant.  Farm fresh charred carrots are topped with creamy burrata, toasted almonds and fennel, mint and brown butter and honey.  We loved this side dish.

Chef Mendoza sent out a tasty Bianca pizza with fontina, mozzarella, smoked gouda and parmesan cheeses and crispy sage.  Enough to feed three hungry people and only $9.  What a deal!  The dough on all pizzas is made fresh daily and is delicious.

Diners can also choose from a variety of pizzas including pear, gorgonzola and arugula; duck sausage; truffles; and fig jam and goat cheese to name a few combinations, all $13 or under!!

We also were sent out a lovely spinach gnocchi topped with lamb ragu and ricotta cheese.  Also delicious.

Drinks are also a great value at $10 for huge glasses.  Monica had a nice ginger cucumber martini with vodka, muddled cucumber, ginger syrup and lemon juice.    We also sampled their sangria which had notes of cinnamon, also very tasty.

We ended our meal with Chef Mendoza’s signature white chocolate bread pudding.

We loved this dessert – white chocolate sauce and mixed berries over a yummy savory bread pudding.  It’s well worth a trip to Silverlake to taste Chef Mendoza’s signature pizzas (and special dough) and other delicious dishes.  I don’t know another spot where you can get a great meal for under $20 for two people.   You’ll save enough money for a walk  to LaMill for an after dinner specialty espresso.  Reservations recommended, 323/300-5500, Lago D’Argento is located at 2611 North Hyperion Avenue.

Dinner at Trattoria 4 (Quattro) Leoni, Florence

Posted on Apr 14, 2012 under Archives, Italy | 2 Comments

My first dinner on my “visit Lidia Bastianich at her winery” trip to Italy was at Trattoria 4 Leoni, also know to tourists as Trattoria Quattro Leoni.  Tucked away in the quiet quaint and small Piazza dell Passera, this delightful eatery is close to the Ponte Vecchio and the Pitti Palace.  That is, if you can find it.

The restaurant’s official address (and the one in guidebooks and given to foodies)  is on Via de Vellutini, but it really isn’t on this narrow long dark street.  I walked up and down for about 10 minutes, met four people that were also looking for the restaurant, when I heard kitchen pans clanking.  I followed my ears off of Via de Vellutini on a small side street and there it was.  Housed on the Piazza della Passera, a little patio and the restaurant!

The other obstacle in obtaining a prized seat at the Trattoria is their reservation process.  My hotel called and made a reservation, but when I arrived it was nowhere on the books.  I luckily took the reservation card the hotel provided and showed it to the staff, and pulled the “I am a food writer here is my card and I would love to include you in my articles” story in broken Italian, and it worked, but I highly recommend bringing in your email or printed reservation with you to secure your table.  And, reservations are a must, especially for the patio area.  That said, here is what I thoroughly enjoyed while dining here:

I wasn’t missing any chance of another Florentine crostini, and some lovely fresh ham and salami, so I got the antipasto platter.  Lovely, with a nice liver crostini.

4 Leoni loves displaying pics of the many celebrities who come here.  Above my table were pictures of Hollywood A listers Dustin Hoffman, Sting, Spike Lee, Kevin Costner and Anthony Hopkins.  I sat in one of two inside areas, both old school Italian trattoria style with dim lighting, wood beam high ceilings, stone walls and brick arches.  There is also a lovely romantic patio and if the weather permits make a reservation to sit al fresco overlooking the piazza.

I had no choice but to order their famed Fiocchetti di pera.  I had heard rave reviews from my Florence for Foodies friends as well as many Chowhound reviews, so I had the pear and three cheese filled ravioli for my main course.  I would travel all the way to Florence just to eat this dish again.  Fresh made ravioli filled with three cheeses and shaved pear, in a rich cream sauce with asparagus.  I took one bite and fell in love with this dish.

In addition to the outstanding food, another reason to visit is the really inexpensive wine.  13 Euros can get a really nice bottle of local wine.  I only had a glass as I had to walk all the way back to the Duomo to my hotel.  I stopped by the kitchen to thank the chef, who was busy butchering diners’ orders for  the famous bistecca alla fiorentina (huge raw Florence steak).

As I was heading to Grom to try some gelato, I didn’t have dessert.  I highly recommend visiting 4 Leoni for either lunch or dinner, but be sure to bring a map and look for the Piazza della Passera and make a reservation.   Official address, Via de Vellutini 1r, (remember, the restaurant is really OFF of this narrow street), 55 218562 for reservations.

Lunch at Coquinarius Restaurant in Florence

Posted on Apr 12, 2012 under Archives, Italy | No Comment

My first meal in Florence was at the charming Coquinarius restaurant.  My Florence for Foodies tour guide buddies Nat and Sam recommended I pop in to include the wine bar/restaurant in one of my articles.

This cozy Italian bistro only houses 10 tables, so even for lunch it’s best to make sure you make a reservation.  The brick ceiling and walls and wood banquettes and tables provide a charming setting.  I came to try their famed crostini plates.

My waiter recommended a nice glass of Bianco di Pitigliano to go with my mixed crostini appetizer and scozzese salad.  The wine was delicious.  Coquinarius has an extensive wine selection so I recommend to ask your waiter to select a bottle that will complement your order.

My mixed crostini plate was plenty for lunch all by itself.  I wasn’t expecting such large portions.  Included in my assortment was the following:

I started off with the mackerel and avocado crostini – both were light and resembled a mousse topping.

I moved on to the sun dried tomato and halibut with pepper jam crostini crostini.  Both were hearty and very tasty.

My favorites were the last three – the liver (delicious), sausage and cheese (like a ragu) and the goat cheese and fig crostini (a perfect match – creamy goat cheese and fruity fig).

Next came my Scozzese salad, with lettuce avocado, warm chicken, huge pieces of salty fatty bacon (the best part) and balsamic vinegar.  A perfect choice to match with the hearty crostini.

The chef also sent me out a sample of their ravioli with pear and cheese – Ravioli ripieni di formeaggio e pere – this was an excellent dish.  I was trying a full portion of this the same night at Quattro Leone restaurant, so I was happy to taste Coquinarius’ version of this dish.  If you are very hungry go for the cheese and pear ravioli, if not so hungry try the crostini appetizer.

I highly recommend enjoying a meal at Coquinarius while in Florence, just make sure to make a reservation ahead.  Another plus is it is on the same street as the famed gelatoria Grom, where you can walk over for some dessert.  Located at Via Delle Oche, 15. Call 055 230 2153 for reservations.